Valve mechanism.



G. W. BVERSON @E G. F. D. TRASK.

VALVE MBGHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED APP.. 8,1909.

Patented June 14,1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. EVERSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND GEORGE F. D. TRASK, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS T0 SAID GEORGE F. D. TRASK.

VALVE MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES IV. EVER- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, and GEORGE F. D. TRAsK, a citizen of the United States, residing in Orange, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Valve Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a form of valve mechanism which may be applied to a variety of purposes, but is particularly useful in connection with portable apparatus for supplying air to divers, firemen etc.

vWe have found the improvement in question to be very useful in connect-ion with smoke-helmets or ammonia-helmets for fire- Inen and others. In many cases the work of fighting a fire is very much hindered by the particular circumstances attending the confiagration whereby poisonous gases or extremely thick or poisonous smoke are created in those regions to which it is important that the firemen should have access. A conflagration in a refrigerating plant, for inst-ance, is liable to cause the liberation of large volumes of ammonia gas, which are extremely dangerous to health and life.

In order to enable a fireman or other proper person to enter regions filled with such poisonous gases or smoke, helmets have been used in connection with small portabletanks of compressed air connected by flexible tubing with the helmets, whereby the wearer is supplied with air which is not only fit in itself for respiration, but acts by its pressure to drive away noxious gases or smoke from wit-hin the space inclosed by the helmet.

In order that the user of this apparatus may be able to ascertain at any time how much air remains available in the tank, so as not to be deprived of air suddenly and without warning, a small gage is attached to each tank, whereby the pressure still existing within such tank may be read. In order that such a reading may be at all accurate, the flow of air from the tank must be temporarily interrupted during the reading, and it is one of the objects of the present invention to make it possible to do this quickly and conveniently.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 8, 1909.

Patented June 14, 1910.

Serial No. 488,568.

Further objects will appear hereinafter.

The present invention does not depend for its novelty upon the use of the tank and gage, and therefore these have notbeen illustrated in the accompanying drawings, showing two preferred forms of the invention, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical section of a valve mechanism intended for use in the above connection; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof on the line m-x of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 11 are plan views of details, and Fig. 5 is a view, principally in section, of a modification within the scope of my invention.

The valve mechanism consists, as usual, of a stationary member and a movable member. The stationary member has a main body 10 having an interior chamber 11, communicating with the atmosphere by an opening 12 bored in a threaded nipple 13, which is intended to screw into the air tank, or some device communicating directly therewith. This valve opening 12 is commanded by a principal movable valve member which, in the preferred form shown, comprises the conical stem, 14, having a threaded portion 15, and a handle 16. This element is omitted from Fig. 2.

The upper end of the main body 10 is threaded, as shown at 17, and over this end is screwed a cap 18 having an interiorlythreaded necki19. The body 10 and cap 1S constitute together a two-partstationary valve member. The movable valve member screws up and down in the neck 19, to open and close the principal valve opening 12; and the stem 111 moves within a packing 20, which can be tightened by screwing the cap 18 down upon it. The screw 21 may be used if desired the better to secure the cap 18 in place.

In order to admit of readily opening the valve orifice 12 a predetermined distance without inspection or calculation in a moment of excitement or emergency, we provide a catch carried on one valve member which is adapted to engage with the other member only when the valve is opened the proper distance; and we prefer to arrange this catch so that it can be fixed in various positions, thereby making it possible to adjust beforehand, at a time of leisure, Vthe exact degree of opening of the orifice 12.

In Fig. 1 we have shown a preferred form in which the catch is carried by the movable valve member, and we prefer to accomplish this as follows. The sleeve 22 is threaded upon the movable valve member, and carries a pivoted latch or catch 23, the lower end of which is pressed inward by the spring 24, so that it drops into a notch or recess 25 in a collar 26 on the cap 13. In this posit-ion it prevents relative rotation of the sleeve 22 and the stationary valve member. Two notches 25 are shown, but only one, or more than two may be employed.

In order that engagement of the catch 23 with t-he recess 25 should serve to prevent turning of the movable valve member, the sleeve 22 must be fixed with relation to said movable valve member. This may be accomplished in any manner obvious to a mechanic, but we prefer to use a lock nut 27, which can be jammed down upon the sleeve 22 when the latter has been adjusted to the proper position to secure the desired amount of opening of the valve opening l2.v To accomplish this adjustment the sleeve 22 and nut 27 are screwed upward high enough to permit a little more than t-he desired movement of the valve. The valve is then opened until the desired amount of iow from the tank is secured. Holding the valve in this position, the sleeve 22 is screwed down until the catch 23 falls into that notch 25 which it is intended to use as a guide. In this position the sleeve 22 is lixed by the lock nut 27 or otherwise, after which, on the catch 23 being raised, the movable valve member, together with the sleeve 22 and catch 23, is rotated as shown by the arrow in Fig. 3 until the valve is closed. The position of the catch 23 when the valve is closed is indicated in a possible posit-ion by dotted lines in Fig. 3. It will be clear that, on reopening the valve by rotation of the movable member contrary to the arrow in Fig. 3, the required predetermined opening of the valve may be secured by simply turning until the catch 23 once more drops into the guiding recess 25. A number of these recesses are provided in those cases where it may become desirable to quickly bring the valve with certainty to a corresponding number of predetermined positions.

As shown in Fig. 5, the adjustable catch may, if desired, be carried by the stationary valve member and be caused to engage with a recess in the movable member. In this form a sleeve 23 is threaded upon the stationary valve member, to which it may be fixed, in a predetermined position by appropriate means, such as the screw 29. The recess in the movable member preferably takes the form of a long groove 30, into which is adapted to enter the pin 31, mounted as shown on the sleeve 28, and supplied with a spring 32 tending to press the pin into said groove. The operation is similar to that above described with regard to Figs. l, 3 and 4.

That part of our improved valve thus far described is sufficient to enable the user of the smoke helmet heretofore described to turn on the supply of air to the exact degree desired without looking at the valve.

and without delay or uncertainty. It remains to describe that part of the valve whereby an exact reading of the gage on the air container may be obtained instantly and without disturbing the position of the main valve. For this purpose I supply two side extensions to the main valve body, preferably placed above the level where the opening 12 enters the chamber l1. One of these extensions shown at 33, is intended to be connected in a well known manner to the air gage, and it communicates with the chamber l1 by a radial opening 34. The second extension is composed of two branches shown at 35 and 36, the former of which opens through the radial opening 37 into the chamber 11, while the branch 36 contains a passage 33 leading to the exterior of the valve. This latter branch is intended to be connected in a well known manner t0 the interior of the smoke helmet. The branch 35 carries an outer tube 39, which forms a prolongation of said branch. This tube opens to the atmosphere and this opening, as well as the opening 37, is commanded by a valve body 40, within the branch 35. This body is provided with proper packing at both ends, so that when pressed inward it will tightly close the opening 37, and, when pressed outward, will close the opening into the tube 39. To permit manipulation of this valve a stem 4l, attached thereto, extends outward through the tube 39, ending in a projecting thumb piece 42, whereby the valve may be pressed inward against the outward pressure of the spring 43. In order to facilitate this operation, we prefer to form an appropriate handle 44 on the tube 39 over which the fingers may be bent while the thumb presses upon the end of the thumb-piece 42.

Vhenit is desired to stop escape of air from the container through the branch 36, so that a correct indication of the amount of air remaining may be had from the gage connected to the side extension 33, it is only necessary to produce a momentary closure of the opening 37 by pressing the valve body 40 inward. As soon as the reading is taken, release of the thumb-piece 42 will permit air to flow once more to the helmet.

The form of valve herein described and claimed may be applied to many uses other than that above particularly pointed out.

Various changes may be made in this Ydevice without departing from our invention,

and we do not limit ourselves to the details herein shown and described.

l. A valve mechanism comprising in combination a movable and a stationary valve member, one of which is provided with a recess, an adjustable catch mounted on the other member adapted to engage with said recess to prevent further movement in either direction when the two members are in a predetermined relative position, and means for fixing said catch upon the member on which it is mounted, substantially as described.

2. A valve mechanism comprising in combination a stationary valve member having a recess, a movable valve member having a screw-thread engagement with said stationary member, a sleeve threaded onto said movable member, and a catch on said sleeve adapted to engage with said recess, substantially as described.

3. A valve mechanism comprising in combination a stationary valve member having a recess, a movable valve member having a screw-thread engagement with said stationary member, a sleeve threaded onto said movable member, a lock-nut also threaded onto said movable member, and a catch on said sleeve adapted to engage with said recess, substantially as described.

4. A valve mechanism comprising in combination a two-part stationary valve member composed of a threaded cylindrical part containing a packing and a cap screwing down upon said packing; a movable valve member screwing into said cap and passing through said packing; an adjustable sleeve threaded onto said movable valve member; means for fixing said sleeve in one position on said valve member; and a catch on said sleeve adapted to engage with a portion of the movable valve member, substantially as described.

5. A valve mechanism comprising in combination a stationary valve member having a recess, a movable valve member having a screw-thread engagement with said stationary member, a sleeve threaded onto said movable member, means for fixing said sleeve on said member and a pivoted spring-pressed latch carried by said sleeve and adapted to engage with said recess when the two valve members occupy a predetermined relative position, substantially as described.

6. A valve mechanism, comprising in combination a stationary valve member having a plurality of recesses, a 'movable valve member having a screw-thread engagement with said stationary member, a sleeve threaded onto said movable member, means for fixing said sleeve on said member, and a catch on said sleeve adapted to engage with said recess, substantially as described.

7 A valve mechanism comprising in combination a stationary valve member having a main body and a side extension with two branches, the rst of which has an opening into the main body and the second of which has an opening to the exterior, a valve within said first branch for commanding said opening into the interior, and a spring pressing said valve open, substantially as described.

8. A valve mechanism comprising in combination a stationary valve member having a main body and a side extension with two branches, the irst of which has an opening into the main body and the second of which has an opening to the exterior, a plunger valve within said iirst branch for commanding said opening into the interior, and a coiled spring on said plunger tending to hold the valve open, substantially as described.

9. A valve mechanism comprising in combination a stationary valve member having a main body and a side extension with two branches, the first of which has an opening into the main body and the second of which has an opening to the exterior, a tube on said irst branch carrying a handle, a plunger valve commanding said opening into the interior and projecting from said tube near said handle, and a coiled spring on said plunger tending to hold the valve open, substantially as described.

l0. A valve mechanism comprising in combination a stationary valve member having a main body and a tubular extension thereon and communicating therewith by an opening; an outer tube att-ached to and opening into said branch; a movable valve member extending from within said branch through said outer tube to a point outside the latter, said movable member having body portion within said tubular extension adapted to close either the opening into the main valve body or that into said outer tube; and a spring tending to press said movable valve member outward so as to leave the opening into the main valve body free, substantially as described.

CHARLES W. EVERSON. GEORGE F. D. TRASK. Witnesses:

F. S. DEMAREST, C. M. PETERSON. 

